Reuters US Domestic News Summary

In her second day of testimony, the woman, who identified herself as Faith, said the Los Angeles encounter took place in January 2018, near the end of an 11-month relationship during which Kelly flew her several times to concerts or recording studios and trained her to please him sexually. Colorado police officers, paramedics charged in 2019 death of Black man Three Colorado police officers and two paramedics have been criminally charged in the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man who died in 2019 after he was subdued and injected with a sedative, the state attorney general said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

Crews save California town near Lake Tahoe; wildfire rages on

South Lake Tahoe stood smoke-filled and largely deserted on Wednesday after crews fought back a huge wildfire, leaving the California resort town unscathed as the flames raged toward Nevada. The Caldor fire, burning since mid-August in the Sierra Nevada range, still threatened homes and businesses near Lake Tahoe as the blaze crept toward the Nevada state line abetted by gusty winds and bone-dry conditions.

North Carolina student dies in school shooting, suspect in custody

A North Carolina high school student was shot and killed on Wednesday by a fellow student, who was taken into custody hours after the incident, police said. Student William Chavis Raynard Miller, Jr. was shot at Mount Tabor High School in Winston-Salem shortly after noon, Winston-Salem Police Chief Catrina Thompson told reporters.

Trump backs opponent of Republican House member who voted to impeach him

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed Army veteran Joe Kent's bid to unseat Republican U.S. Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington state, who was among the few in her party who voted to impeach Trump in January. Trump has promised to help Republicans win control of Congress in the November 2022 elections and is also working to replace his Republican critics in Congress with loyalists.

Top U.S. general says he shares 'pain and anger' after Afghanistan withdrawal

The top U.S. general on Wednesday said he shared the "pain and anger" and mixed emotions of many in the military after the United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, which included an evacuation effort that cost the lives of 13 service members. Nearly 2,500 Americans were killed in the United States' longest war, including 13 service members in a suicide bombing by Islamic State last week outside Kabul's airport. Many of them were just babies when the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks took place, triggering the conflict nearly 20 years ago.

U.S. House committee backs $25 billion increase in defense spending

The U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee on Wednesday backed a proposal to increase spending for the Department of Defense by about $25 billion, more than the $715 billion proposed by President Joe Biden's administration. The vote paved the way for $740 billion budget for the Pentagon next year, since the Senate Armed Services Committee had already backed that spending level in its version of the bill.

Biden vows to protect Roe v. Wade after Texas abortion law takes effect

President Joe Biden condemned the Texas law that went into effect on Wednesday which prohibts the vast majority of abortions in the state, and pledged his administration would fight to protect the constitutional right to abortion as laid out in the landmark Roe v. Wade case. "The Texas law will significantly impair women’s access to the health care they need, particularly for communities of color and individuals with low incomes," Biden said in a statement. "And, outrageously, it deputizes private citizens to bring lawsuits against anyone who they believe has helped another person get an abortion."

U.S. manufacturing activity rises; shortages linger

U.S. manufacturing activity unexpectedly picked up in August amid strong order growth, but a measure of factory employment dropped to a nine-month low, likely as workers remained scarce. The survey from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) on Wednesday continued to highlight persistent problems securing enough raw materials, a situation worsened by disruptions caused by the latest wave of COVID-19 infections, primarily in Southeast Asia, as well as ports congestion in China.

Ida's devastation shocks as fuel shortages hinder recovery

Storm damage from Ida astounded officials on Wednesday a full three days after the powerful hurricane pounded southern Louisiana, as reconnaissance flights revealed entire communities devastated by winds and floods. With President Joe Biden due to survey the destruction for himself on Sunday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued a plea for emergency fuel supplies to assist a million homes and businesses without power, and 600,000 people without water.

R. Kelly accuser says she saw a nearby gun while forced to have oral sex

A woman who accuses R. Kelly of sexually abusing her told jurors at his racketeering trial on Wednesday that she was unnerved when she saw a gun near where the R&B singer forced her to perform oral sex on him. In her second day of testimony, the woman, who identified herself as Faith, said the Los Angeles encounter took place in January 2018, near the end of an 11-month relationship during which Kelly flew her several times to concerts or recording studios and trained her to please him sexually.

Colorado police officers, paramedics charged in 2019 death of Black man

Three Colorado police officers and two paramedics have been criminally charged in the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man who died in 2019 after he was subdued and injected with a sedative, the state attorney general said on Wednesday. A state grand jury handed up a 32-count indictment, Attorney General Phil Weiser said at a news conference. All five defendants are charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.